Introducing journal publishing

Following the successful implementation of our book publishing offer, Scottish Universities Press (SUP) is now preparing to launch a journal publishing programme. SUP is a not-for-profit open access publishing platform which has been developed through the collaboration of Scottish universities. 

This expansion will provide researchers with a clear and cost-effective route to publishing their work open access. The initiative will extend the reach of research and innovation outputs to global audiences in an equitable and sustainable way, while complying with funder mandates for open access. 

Expressions of interest are invited from editors of existing journals that are in a position to migrate to SUP within a 6-month period. SUP is a cross-disciplinary publisher so all subjects will be considered.  

It is anticipated that the pilot project will initially focus on a single journal, with a further two journals being selected to commence migration on completion of the pilot phase. 

The journal programme will match the existing SUP approach of providing a full-service publishing offer which includes industry standard production processes – including copy-editing, typesetting and design - and access to global dissemination channels.  

The aim is to offer a high-quality, sustainable alternative to commercial journal publishing arrangements which are becoming increasingly expensive.  

The expansion to journal publishing is a high priority for SCURL member libraries, who collectively pay around £38 million per annum to access electronic resources. Open access initiatives such as SUP have the potential to bring significant long-term cost-savings for institutions. 

Expressions of interest should be submitted via a short online form by Monday 2 March 2026.  

For an informal discussion, please contact info@sup.ac.uk. SUP member institutions should contact your institutional representative on the Management Board.